the promise
by rui-aiya
Summary: A promise was made. It is about to be fulfilled. Himura's past is to be the greatest challenge. A choice between two destiny.


_Disclaimer: I do not own RK._

"Are you hurt?" the red hair kid asked.

But the girl just stared at him. Blankly.

"Come here, let me help you..." again he lent his hand towards the girl.

But she just sits there without making any move. The wound on her head had started to pour fresh blood. It rolls down covering half of her face.

Without having reaction from the girl, the red hair kid started to pull the girl's hands. Wrapped it around his shoulders while the other hand searched for her thigh and prepares to lift her up. With that very skinny body of hers, he carries her with no difficulty at all.

They are now heading toward the direction of a nearby river. He plans to wash the girl's wounds.

As he stares at her, he noticed blankness on her eyes. There's no pain. No emotion. With that, he feels something that strikes him within. Something that he had felt not long ago. The feeling he always had whenever he had that same nightmare every night and made him miserable the next morning he wakes up.

They are getting near. The boy can now hear the sound of the water flowing. He can also hear the silent whisper of the timid wind that moves the leaves of the trees around and cover them from the heat of the sun. But all he can hear from the girl is her breathing.

By the riverbank, he lay her down slowly as if she is a fragile glass ready to break apart.

"We're here now... I would like to clean your wounds. Will you let me?" he asked her.

Again, she just stared at him. But this time, he noticed that she is letting him do what he asked for he could read it in her eyes.

He now reached on his shirt and started to rip a part of it. He now has a piece of cloth he'll be using to clean her wounds. The boy dipped it in the clear water and squeezed the excess drops then face the girl and put the damp cloth on her wounds gently. The cloth suddenly became red as it absorbs the blood that still flows out her wounds. So he again dipped it and cleaned the cloth. He then repeated the process.

Again, he pulled another piece of his shirt, made a long strip and wrapped it around her head. He noticed that the bleeding stops. He felt relieved.

The boy reached for the other cloth and began to touch her face. Very gently, he cleaned the already dried blood around her eyes and cheeks. Then, looked at her bruises and lumps and the fresh wound on her lips. It's swelling so he touched it as gently as he could.

"Does it hurt?" he asked.

But he again got no reply. She just stared at him.

"Do you know that man who beat you? He is bad. He should not beat children. Especially a girl like you." He is telling her while he continues to clean her face.

"My sensei always tells me that I have to become stronger when I grow up so that bad man like him will not hurt me. That I can be strong enough to defend myself." He continued.

"Also, he always tells me that every people's path is a difficult journey that we should be prepared for it. I'm still not sure what he means by that but I believe that he is right. Bad people just do whatever things they want to do with us because they see us as weak ones."

"That's why I promised myself to be the strong someday. That nobody will ever make me feel weak anymore. I will show them what's right and who should takeover this place and they are the people who really are rightful to hold the power. And I'll be the one who will stop those bad guys in their wrong doings."

The girl suddenly hold his hand which made him stop. He can now see her face clearly. She can see a face of an angel although still covered with particles of dried blood.

She is staring at him then made a very weak smile.

The boy smiled back. He felt glad seeing that smile on her face.

"There, I can see you now." he said.

The girl slowly moves her hand and reached for his cheek. She slowly rubs it and looks at his wound. Then moves her hand and touched the tip of his nose with her fingers.

The boy just watched what she was doing. He felt peace.

"Very well, I think you're feeling a little better now. You think you're parents are looking for you? Maybe I'll bring you to them if you would like me to accompany you…" he said.

The girl stayed quiet. Then looked away from him.

"Is there something wrong?" he then asked.

She did not respond.

She is now looking at the direction of the sun where it started to hide itself behind the west mountain. Its orange ray lights her face and the boy can't stop but look at her. The wind now brings a comforting breeze. It started to refresh his soul as the view of this girl started to make patterns in his mind. For she had seen her before. But not sure where. Maybe in the places he had been, in his long forgotten home. Or maybe, in his dreams.

With her that time, he can feel afraid no more. For she had shown her strength when that big bad man was beating her early that day at the market place.

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He was buying rice when she bumped him. She ran fast away from him leaving only the shadows of her. When he reached his pocket, he realized that his money is missing. Just then he figured that it was stolen and he is sure it's her who did it. So he began searching all over the place hoping to see her. He looked everywhere, every possible corner where she might be hiding. He was angry that time for he knows that when his sensei discovered what just happened, he's sure about the punishment waiting for him the next day. And he doesn't want to see that angry face of him which means triple training and extra chores.

So he looked everywhere. His legs made big leaps because he wanted to find her soon for his sensei hates waiting. Until he reached that corner where there are few passersby and the stalls are either closed or without any sign of life.

His instinct is telling him to follow that path though he still doesn't know why. He just continued to walk towards that direction.

And there she was. She was sitting there, at that corner with high walls and pile of garbage. She has this piece of bread in her hands and eating it fast. Her hands are dirty and bugs are surrounding her, taking a pick of her meal. But she didn't give attention to them and just continued swallowing the pieces of bread.

Finally, she noticed him standing there. She was stunned. Panic began to fill her face and her eyes started to search for something. She found a piece of stone beside her. She picks it up and aim to throw it to him.

"No…." he said. "I'm not here to take back what you took from me."

She didn't move but hold the stone in her right hand tighter readied herself anytime.

"Listen, I'm not going to hurt you. Now, I'm leaving. I just realized that you need it more than I do." He's telling her while already making back steps away from her.

Realizing that he is not a threat, she slowly lay her hands down and threw the stone back on the ground.

Seeing her did that, he walked away slowly.

_"Maybe sensei will not punish me, I'll just try to explain what happened to him later."_ He thought.

He looked for his sensei at the inn where he left him but he already left as what the lady in the counter had just informed him. He also learned that he was looking for him.

_"Oh my, it did took a while finding her."_ he thought not worrying about himself but the girl he had left.

So he walked around the market place hoping to find his sensei.

Suddenly, crowds were rushing towards the direction where he came from. He realized that there's turmoil going on near where he found the girl.

His heart started to beat faster. He suddenly felt afraid by the disturbance that's happening on that same place and he couldn't explain why.

And he found himself running towards that direction and discovers what's happening within the pack of people circling the spot.

It is a group of men with blades and armor. One of them is holding an old man furiously while others are yelling and laughing, excited on what their comrade is about to do with the poor soul.

The old man is begging him to spare someone he couldn't see from where he is standing for barrels, broken chairs and tables are scattered around the place. And the crowds, though afraid, are pushing him violently. They are all curious on what is about to happen. He heard someone says that this group making the scandalous scene is known for their merciless killings and crimes. And nobody is brave enough to confront them. And this is just another ordinary scene in that town.

He again looked at the direction of the old man. Now he can see clearly whom is he protecting to. It was the girl. And she already had blood in her all over her body.

The brute man grinned and held the girl in her already wounded shoulders asking her to give all the money she just stole.

But the girl didn't say any word and reacted blankly, which made the man more furious. So he raised his hand and started to hit the girl on the face violently.

The boy just stood there. Stunned. He doesn't have the strength to stop that man and he just watched in horror.

The hits were repeated after the other. It strikes her not just on the face but all over her body. The old man was now begging for others to help the child but nobody was moving. They just look at each other, avoiding the eyes of the old man. And so he started to lose hope. Now he's sure that there is nothing that he could do.

Anger now started to grow inside the boy. He feels his hands gripping his bamboo sword tighter and tighter.

The man, seems not satisfied enough with what he had just did with the girl, searched for his sword on his right thigh. He draws it up and grabs the girl again. Ready to slash her to death this time.

"Let her go!" the boy, can no longer hold himself from anger, shouted.

The man, interrupted, looked at his direction. He was agitated for he discovered that the call came from a 10-year-old boy.

"Let her go!" he repeated.

The man throws the girl down causing her to stumble coarsely on the ground. The mad man, making himself more sturdy, stands straight and broadened his muscles then leaps his feet toward the direction of the boy.

The crowd behind the boy moves away from him leaving him alone in the center of the way.

But he just stood there. Waiting.

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He is ready for whatever it is about to happen. He doesn't feel any fear, just rage and full anger. All he wanted now is to punish that man who had beaten her without any mercy. And he will do the same thing to him.

He prepared for his attack, holding his bamboo sword tighter. He is ready.

The fierce man grinned and moves closer.

Then the man roared and suddenly raised his sword giving the boy a big blow. With enough speed, the boy managed to avoid the surprise attack and moved away to his right. He saw that chance and gave a return thrust to his opponent hitting him in his right thigh.

But the con, with a body of steel, didn't mind the propulsion. He's concentration now is on the boy and killing him fast for he could start to hear he comrades' silent laughter. More furious than before, he positioned himself for another attack, this time making sure to hit the boy who is now standing a few yards away from his right. He is in his defense position and ready to receive his charge anytime.

The man then again gives his blows but the boy has this speed that made him avoid all his assault.

The crowd is now getting more engaged to the exhibition that's been happening within the two. They cannot believe that this 10-year old will be able to survive this mean sinister which makes the battle more interesting.

And one person from that crowd is quietly observing every move the boy makes.

Suddenly, a surprise stroke was given by the man using his left fist hitting the boy on the face which make him fall on the ground. It was a strong one that made his nose and mouth bleed. It turned him dizzy which make him lose his concentration for defense.

That was the chance his opponent was waiting for so he then raised his sword again aiming at the boy's chest. But before he could insert the blade into his flesh, a loud scream came out of from the man making him dropped his sword.

The boy can now see what just happened and realized that his adversary was covering his bleeding eyes with both hands. Something had hit him. The scrutinizing pain made him ferocious but without control. He threw everything he grabs. The crowd, fearful of the man and his comrades, cast a look to the one responsible with what happened. He looks towards the direction where the people are throwing their eyes.

It's the girl, now standing, holding a sling with her right hand and broken glasses in her left. He is sure that the mad man is now blind and the girl causes it.

Still hazy, the boy managed to stand up and reached for the girl. He saw her still motionless and without any emotion. But her eyes are shadowing vehemence and he couldn't not tell what she is thinking that time. He is puzzled why her face still lacks emotion while she quietly watch the uproar made by the big cad.

He then noticed that the bastard's comrades are coming closer. They are a group of ten, fully armored and are furiously following the big bastard's order of killing both of them. He looked around, trying to come up with something that may be their sanctuary but the there's no way that they can get away. Aside from the crowd who are still in suspense watching what is about to happen, he noticed that there are still a couple of groups not far from them whom he assumed are colleagues of their antagonists.

_"There's no way that I can passed through those men. I think all my option is to fight them."_ The boy thought.

So he once again prepared himself. Now, not sure what he is about to do.

to be continued...


End file.
